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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

0. S BOWMAN. BED AND PLATEN PRINTING. 1111101111113.

No 501,319, 9 Patefited July 11,1893.

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(No Model.) '3 Sheetsa-Sheet 2,

0. s. BOWMAN. I BED AND PLATBN PRINTING MACHINE.

I No. 501,319. I Patented JuIy11, 1 893.

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'0. S. BOWMAN. BED AND PLATEN PRINTING MACHINE.

No. 501,319. Patented July l l, 1893 272': f M I Fly 3 -W/TNESSE8:" Z 9; 43 INVENTOH D V zz 2-? ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE.

OLIVER S. BOWMAN, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH TERRITORY.

BED-AND-PLATEN PRINTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,319, dated July 11, 1893.

Application filed June 10, 1892. Serial No. 436,181. (No model) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER S. BOWMAN, of Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and Territory of Utah, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bed and Platen Printing-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in job printing presses, and has for its object to provide a press of exceedingly simple, durable and economic construction, in which a direct impression will be obtained, all parts of the type striking the platen with equal force and at the same time, without employing the hinge motion in the majority of such presses. Another object of the invention is to provide an exceedingly simple inking device, in which the inking rollers will pass directly from an ink disk to the type without the right-angled sweep usually employed in such presses.

It is another object of the invention to provide an exceedingly quick and reliable feeding device, providing a means for feeding the press very expeditiously, as a single sweep of afinger employed will carry the sheet in position,virtually rendering the press self-feeding.

A further object of theinvention is to provide a means for quickly and conveniently making ready, and to provide a means whereby the paper to be printed will be carried by grippers, separated at one end, between the platen and the type, and whereby the grippers will be attached to a carriage, which carriage will take the sheet to the rear of the press, and drop the sheet upon a table or upon any support placed to receive it, returning for another sheet immediately upon disposing of the printed one.

Another object of the invention is to provide a scale whereby a gage may be set accue rately upon the feed table to receive sheets of paper of any size, and whereby also gages will be produced upon the sides of the press, through the medium of which the grippers may be expeditiously and conveniently adjusted to receive the opposite ends of sheets of any size.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.-

Reference is to be hadto theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

views.

Figure l is a central longitudinal section through a press, taken practically. upon the line 11 of Fig. 4. Fig. 2 is a section upon an enlarged scale, taken through the carriage, illustrating one side of the carriage and the grippers in an open position. Fig. 3 is a section illustrating one ofthe grippers shown in Fig. 2, the forward one in its closed position and as having seized a sheet. 'Fig. 4 is a plan view of the press. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken practically on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the carriage. Fig. 7 is a section through the platen, illustrating the manner in which it is adjusted. Fig. 8 is a front end view of the press. Fig.

9 is a central transverse section taken prac-' tically on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section through the carriage, the grippers being shown in an open position and the view being taken of the side the reverse of that shown in Fig. 2; and Fig. 11, is a side elevation of a portion of the carriage shownin Fig. 10,illustrating the rear gripper as passing forward to receive the sheet.

The frame of the machine may be said to v consist of two upper longitudinal and spaced bed rails 10 and 11, legs 12, supporting the bed rails, which legs are connected by cross rods or bars 13 suitably located, they being shown in section in Fig. 1, and slide-ways 14., which emanate one from each side of the central portion of the base and extend vertically upward to the bed rails 10 and 11. The bed rails 10 and 11, have also formed upon them at their upper edges and at or near their centers, standards 15, which standards are connected bya fixed shaft 16, the fixed shaft 16, being adapted to support the platen A and the mechanism utilized for adj ustingthe same. Each of the bed rails 10 and 11, is provided with a longitudinal slide way in its innerface, the slide way of the rail 10 being designated as 10 and the slide way of the rail 11 being designated as 11, and adjacent to or at the lower edge of each slide way in each bed rail a longitudinally located track 18, is formed.

In the bed rail 10 the track 18, terminates some distance from the rear end of the press;

and beneath the slideway 10 at the end of said track 18, a second slide way 19, is produced, the bottom wall of which 'forms a track 18, it being adapted as a continuation of the track 18, the track 18" is therefore some distance below the track 18 and the two tracks are con-.

nected by an inclined track or wall 18". Where the two sections 18 and 18 of the track unite, a platform 20,is centrally pivoted, or so constructed and pivoted as to best serve the end desired, which platform is normally held in a horizontal position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, by a spring 21 of any approved c'onstruction. When the platform is in its horizontal position one end of it rests against the track 18, as is best shown in' Fig. 3. The spring 21, controlling the platform, is located at one side of the track 18 so as not to interfere with any object that may be called upon to travel upon the tracks 18 and 18. In the opposite bed rail 11, the track 18, terminates as in the bed rail 10, and it meets a depressed track 22, shown bestin Figs. 10 and 11, the depressed and elevated track being connected by an inclined track section 23. A lengthy platform 24, is pivoted above the lower track section 22 at its rear end, and the forward end of this platform rests upon the rear extremity of the track 18; thus the platform can not be depressed from above but may be elevated from below, as shown in Fig. 11.

In the slide ways 10 and ll a carriage B, is adapted to have vertical movement. This carriage is shown in detail plan View in Fig. 6, and it consists of two side rails 25 and 26, connected at the rear by a cross bar 27, and near the front end by a cross bar 28. Near the forward end of the carriage, in suitable bearings attached to its side beams the trunnions of two inking rolls 29 and 30, are journaled, the rolls being practically side by side,

and they may be of any suitable or approved.

construction. The carriage is provided with two sets of sliding plates, one set being designated as C and the other set as C, the set, C being the rear set and the set C the forward one. The plates of the forward set C, are connected with the side rails of the carriage by means of set screws 31, which pass through the plates near their forward ends and through longitudinal slots 32, formed in the said sides of the carriage, which slots 32, extend from a point in front of the inking rollers nearly to the rear end of the carriage. The rear ends of the plates constituting the set C, are preferably of equal width with the center and forward ends, but near the center and forward end of each of said plates a rearwardly-curved spur 33, is projected and the rear ends of these spurs are connected and serve to support a cross bar 34. This cross bar is provided in its rear edge with a series of essentially T-shaped slots 35, adapted for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

The plates 0, carry a forward set of grippers, and these grippers consist of arms 36,

independently pivoted to the opposing plates, as shown in Fig. 6. The arms are upwardly and rearwardly curved, and said arms are connected at their rear or free ends by a presser bar 37, the position of the rear ends of the arms and the presser bar being such that when the arms are forced upward the presser bar 37, will engage practically with the under face of the bar 34 connecting the spurs 33; and as these two bars are adapted to grasp and to hold one end of a sheet of paper they may be termed respectively the upper and the lower jaws of the forward grippers. One arm 36,that adjacent to the bed rail 10, is provided with a downwardly extending arm 38, whereby the two arms at this rail approximate in shape the letter V. The lower arm 38, carries a friction roller 39, and this roller is adapted to travel upon the track 18 and also upon the track 18. When the roller is in engagement with the track 18 the lower jaw 37 of the forward grippers will be carried downward and away from the upper jaw 34; while when the friction-roller travels upon the elevated track 18 the two jaws will be brought to a clamping engagement. The friction roller39, is likewise adapted to travel over the springcontrolled platform 20, in which position it is shown in Fig. 3, and until it has passed to the rear of the center of this platform the two jaws of the grippers remain in gripping contact. The rear set of plates 0', carried by the carriage are likewise adjustable thereon; and they are locked, or rendered capable of lateral movement, by means of set screws 40. These plates, together with arms 41, constitute a rear set of grippersD'. The forward ends of the set of plates C, are slightly elevated, but not carried upward as high as the spur 33 of the opposing set of plates 0, and the elevated parts of the plates 0, which may be termed lugs and are designated as 42, are connected by a cross bar 43. The arms 41, are independently pivoted to the plates of the set 0, and are curved upward and forward, their upper ends being connected by a cross bar 44. This bar is so located that it may be carried to an engagement with the bar43 over which it is located, or out of engagement therewith; therefore, the bars 43 and 44, may be termed the upper and the lowerjaws of the rear set of grippers D. The arm 41, however, of the rear set of grippers, located next to the bed rail 11, is provided with a downward extension 41, shown best in Figs. 10 and 11; and this extension of the arm carries at its lower end a friction roller45; this friction roller is adapted to travel upon the track 18 of that bed plate over the platform 24 and upon the depressed track 22. When the roller is on the depressed track the jaws of the grip pers will be open, and when it. travels upon the elevated track the jaws will be carried to a gripping engagement with-each other.

Beneath the rear portions of the bed rails, a box 46, or any form of receptacle is located, adapted to receive the printed sheets, as shown able the gages to be brought together or carried apart in an accurate manner to receive and guide the sheets of paper as they may vary in width.

At the lower or forward edge of the feed table a series of spring fingers 52, is located,

and these fingers are of such number and so located that they may enter the slots 35, which are produced in the upper jaws of each set of grippers. The slots in the upper jaws of the grippers D, face rearward, while the slots in the rear grippers D, face in a forwardly direction.

A clamping bar 53, normally rests upon the spring fingers 52, and said bar is provided with a series of downwardly extending fingers beveled upon their rear lower sides. A finger of the clamping bar rests upon each finger 52, and the clamping bar and its fingers are adapted to hold the sheets of paper to be taken by the grippers, keeping them properly upon the spring fingers 52. This clamping bar is provided at its ends with arms 54, by means of which it is pivotally connected with standards 55, projected upward from the table. The clamping bar holds the sheets under proper tension and prevents them frombuckling while the front grippers D, are drawing the sheet from the table; and the bar continues to bear upon the sheet being removed until that sheet has engaged with the rear grippersD'. ThegrippersDandD',maybeadjusted also to take sheets of any desired size; and this is accomplished by producing a scale 56, partly upon the inner face of the side beams and partly upon the carriage, as shown in Fig. 2, in which it will be observed that the grippers may be adjusted upon the scale either away from or toward each other by loosening their set screws 31'and 4:0, adj usting the grippers and again tightening the screws. 1

The bed 57, upon which the chase 58, is sup ported carrying the type 59, is connected at each of its ends with arms and 61, and these arms are provided with attached blocks 62, the said blocks being adapted to travel in the slide-ways 14, heretofore described and as shown in Figs. 1 and 9. Each arm 60 and 61, carries at its lower end a friction roller- 63. The manner in which movement is im parted to the bed 57, will be shortly described in connection with the mechanismimparting movement to the carriage.

The platen A, is connected by adjusting screws 64, with a supporting bar 65, the latter being provided with arms 66, which arms are held to rock upon the shaft 16. In this manner the platen may be turned bottom face uppermostfor the adjustment of its blanket,-

and the platen may also be adjusted vertically to accommodate itself to the height of the type from which the impression is to be taken; and when the type is to be reset or placed upon the table the platen is turned upward and in direction of one side, so that access may readily be had to the type. The platen is held in its normal position by means of a pin 67, which is passed through one of I the arms 66 into a recess produced in one of the standards 15, or in a projection formed upon the standard. The inking table 68, is located upon the bedrails in front of the type- .supporting bed 57. The inking table is held to revolve in a bracket 69, supported in any approved manner; and upon the shank of the table a ratchet wheel 70, is secured, and this ratchet wheel 7 0, is engaged by a dog 71, pivoted upon a link 72, two of which links are employed, one at each side of the machine. The upper ends of thelinks are slotted, and at their slotted ends are connected with studs 7 3, formed upon the forward end of the carriage. The carriage is provided with friction rollers engaging with the walls of the slideways of the bed rails, so that the carriage may be moved with the least possible friction. The carriage can also be so constructed as to have a V-shaped bearing above and below, said bearing to slide in a V-shaped track, the track in that event being a substitute for the slides 10 and 11. The lower ends of the links 72, are pivoted upon studs 7 4, projected from the legs of the frame; and each of the links is connected with a horizontal arm, the arms being designated as 75 and 76 and best shown in Fig. 5. These arms are connected with the links 72 by means of a transverse shaft 77, as is likewise best shown in Fig. 5.

The arms 75, 76 are adapted to have ahorizontal sliding movement, and to that end their forward or outer extremities move in guides or slideways 78, likewise shown in Fig. 5; and the inner end of each arm 75 and 76, is provided with a friction roller 79. o A drive shaft 80,1s journaled about centrally in the frame of the machine, between the base and the bed rails. This shaftis provided with a crank arm 81, in order that it may be driven through the medium of a foot pedal 82, the pedal being mounted upon a shaft 83, and connected with the crank arm by a pitman 84. Upon the drive shaft two cams E, are securely mounted. The two cams are identical in construction, and are provided with cam grooves in each of their faces, the cam groove upon the inner face of each wheel being different from that upon the outer face. The cam groove upon the inner face of the cam wheel is designated as 85, and is adapted to receive the friction rollers 79 of the arms 75 and.76 operating thevcarriage. The cam grooves 85, are somewhat circular, or approximately circular, and are much larger and more regular than the camgroove 88 in the opposite or outer faces of the cam wheels, which. groove 88, is more or less elliptical and is of less circumference, the position of the cam grooves with relation to each other being shown in Fig. 1. The outer cam grooves 86, receive friction rollers 63, located upon the arms and 61, supporting the typesupporting bed 57. When the carriage is being acted upon or operated the type bed is to be raised, and vice versa.

The main or drive shaft 80, is provided at one end with a balance wheel 87; but I desire it to be understood that if in practice it is found desirable other power than foot power may be employed to operate the press.

In the operation of the machine, the paper is placed upon the feed table 47 in the'manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3; that is to say, the edges of the paper are made to overlap, the lower edge of the top sheet extending over upon the fingers 52 of the table, and being held normally at rest upon those fingers by the clamp bar 53. After the grippers D and D have been set to properly receive thelength of paper to be used in printing, the press may be started by settingin motion the drive shaft 80. We will suppose that the carriage is upon its rearward travel; the moment that the fric tion roller on the arm 38 of the forward gripper D strikes the lower track 18*, the jaws of the grippers open, and this is accomplished the moment that the forward grippers have reached the spring fingers of the feed table; and when the forward grippers have attained this position, the rear grippers D, will have opened their jaws by reason of the arm 41 thereof, and its friction roller 45, dropping to the lower track 22, this descent not occurring.

until the carriage has reached its farthest rearward throw. The forward grippers are now in position to grasp the lower edge of they top sheet of paper. When the forward grip pers approach the feed table, the upperjaws engage with and lift the clamping bar 53, as shown in Fig. 2, and rest upon the top of the sheet of paper. The moment that the carriage is carried forward, the friction roller 39, connected with the forward grippers, travels up the platform 20 located between the tracks 18 and 18, and in so doing the lower jaw of the forward grippers is forced upward. As the carriage is carried farther forward the jaws 34 and 37 of the forward grippers more tightly close, and this occurs after they have disengaged from the fingers of the feed table. The jaws of the forward grippers remain closed throughout the forward movement of the carriage, and carry with them the sheet they have removed from the feed table. As the carriage travels forward the rear grippers are carried forward also, and as shown in Fig. 11, when the friction roller 45, connected with the rear grippers, ascends the incline 23, connecting the tracks 18 and 22, the jaws of the rear grippers close together; but this action does not take place until the jaws of the grippers have reached a point beneath the spring fingers of the feed table, and when they reach this position the upper edge of the sheet removed from the table will drop between the jaws of the rear grippers, and the jaws will close upon the sheet. When the carriage has traveled the length of its full forward throw, the sheet, carried by the front and rear grippers, will be carried immediately beneath the platen A; and upon the forward movement of the carriage the inking rollers will have inked the type. The inking rollers pass over upon the inking table at the time thatthe sheet is brought, by the grippers, into position to be printed, and at that timethe cam controlling the type bed acts, forces the bed upward, and brings the type firmly and evenly with a direct vertical movement upon the paper, printing the same and pressing it upon the blanket of the platen. While the impression is being made the carriage remains stationary. When the printing has been accomplished the type bed drops downward and the carriage moves rearward, carrying the sheet with it; but when the jaws of the forward grippers approach the feed table, the friction rollers of the said grippers pass over the platform 20 and drop to the lower track 18, opening the jaws and placing them in position to receive another sheet, and releasing the edge of the sheet printed. The opposite edge of the printed sheet is not at this time released by the jaws of the rear grippers, as at this juncture the friction roller 45 of said grippers is traveling upon the platform 24, and when it drops from that platform to the track 22, as shown in Fig. 10, it is when the carriage has passed to its farthest rearward point. In dropping to the lower track the jaws are opened, and the printed sheet drops into the box or receptacle 46 placed to receive it. At this time the forward grippers will be in position to engage with another sheet, and the operation again commences and continues as before. Each time that a sheet is drawn, the fingers of the clamp bar 53, rest upon the sheet, imparting to it a proper tension and keeping it straight and without wrinkles; and as the upper edge of the upper sheet leaves the pile, the next sheet below it is at its lower edge drawn over the fingers of the feed table to be grasped by the forward grippers. The grooves for the cams E, are so adjusted that the gripper and roller carriage is permitted to remain stationary at the end of its forward movement while the impression is being taken, and the bed 57 upon which the type rests is permitted to remain stationary at its lowest point while the inking rollers 29 and 30 pass over and ink the type.

The press is so constructed and the parts so adjusted that instead of the inner grooves 85 of the cams E being employed one single cam in the center of the center shaft 80 can be made to impart the motion to the carriage through one central link, forked at the top, to take the place of the two side links 72, and one central arm in that event is employed instead of the two central arms and 76.

The above motion can also be obtained through the medium of a lever attached to the link 72 and the crank arm 81 of the drive shaft 80. Y

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a printing press, in combination 'a frame, a feedtable mounted thereon, a. reciprocating carriage held to travel on the main frame, grippers on the carriage facing each other and having trip arms controlling the movement of their jaws, and tripping devices on the main frame constructed to alternately engage the opposing grip controlling devices at the alternate reciprocal movements of the carriage, whereby. such grippers will alternately engage the opposite ends of the sheets, as and for the purposes described.

2. In a printing press, the combination, with the feed table and a'frame supporting the table, the sides of the frame being provided with slideways and with tracks, the tracks being constructed in two sections, an elevated and a depressed section, of a carriage held to travel in the slideways of the frame, grippers located in the carriage and facing each other, the grippers being provided with trip arms controlling the movements of their jaws, the said triparms having engagement with the tracks, as and for the purpose specified. I

3. In a printing press, the combination, with a feed table the main frame provided with tracks and constructed in two sections, an elevated and a depressed section, and tilting platforms located at the junctions of the two sections of the track, of a carriage held to travel in slideways in the frame above the tracks, grippers located in the carriage and facing one another, levers connected with one jaw of the grippers, the said levers being adapted to travel upon the tracks and the tilting platform, and a driving'mechanism whereby the carriage is given areciprocating movement in the frame, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a printing press, the combination, with a frame, a feed table secured to the frame,- provided with spring fingers at its lower end and a pivoted clamping bar engaging with the fingers, of tracks formed upon the sides of the frame and constructed in two sections, an elevated and a depressed section, tilting platforms and shifting devices located at the junctions of the-tracks, a carriage held to travel in slideways in the frame above the tracks, grippers located in the carriage, one near the rear and the other near its forward end, the upper jaws of the grippers being recessed to receive the spring fingers of the feed table, and levers connected with the grippers and adapted for engagement with the tracks, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a printing press, the combination,with a frame, a feed table located over the frame, a carriage held to travel in slideways in the frame, and a driving mechanism connected with the carriage, of grippers located in the carriage and facing one another, the grippers being adjustable to and from each other, tracks located beneath the slideways of the frame, and levers connected with the gripper jaws and engaging constantly with the said tracks, which tracks are constructed in two sections, 'a depressed and an elevated one, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a printing press, the combination, with a frame, a feed table supported above the frame and provided with spring fingers at its lower end, adjustable gages, and a scale located between the gages, a carriage held to reciprocate in the frame and provided with inking rollers, and a driving mechanism connected with the carriage, of grippers located in the carriage and adjustable to and from each other, a scale produced upon the carriage between the grippers and the corresponding scale upon the frame, tracks constructed in two sections, an elevated and a depressed one, located beneaththe slidewaysof the carriage, levers connected with the gripper jaws, the jaws being recessed to receive the fingers of the feed table and the said le vers being adapted to travel upon said tracks, and a clamping bar pivotally connected with the feed table, as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a printing press, the combination with the type bed, and the main frame of the platen supportingbar 65, hung on the main frame, to be swung upward, and formed with a lock portionhaving a lock pin adapted to engage a lock notch in the frame whereby to hold the bar to its down or normal position and the platen A held for vertical adjustment on the bottom of the bar 65 all arranged substantially as shown and for the purpose described.

8. In a printing press, the combination,'with a carriage and grippers adj ustably located in the carriage, of tracks located beneath the carriage, comprising an elevated and a depressed section, and a switch at the junction of the sections, and levers connected with the gripper jaws, said levers being adapted to travel upon said tracks, as and for the purpose specified.

OLIVER S. BOWMAN. Witnesses:

F. W. WHEELER, F. D. PARSONS. 

